Quick and Easy Tempura Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the secret to perfect tempura? ›

The secret of the lightness of the tempura is all in the thermal shock: the batter must be worked (a little) in a metal bowl placed in a larger bowl full of ice. A similar rule must be also applied to the vegetables or fish you want to fry: better keep them in the refrigerator until the moment before cooking.

To Make the Batter

While the oil is heating up, prepare the tempura batter. We'll use a 1-to-1 ratio (by volume) of flour to egg + water.

A simple and traditional tempura batter is typically made of ice water, flour, and egg yolks. Variants of tempura batter are sometimes made with soda water, baking soda, cornstarch, potato starch, or rice flour to enhance the crispy texture.

To make the batter, combine flour, cornstarch, salt and sparkling water and allow the mixture to sit for a few minutes. Dust vegetables, fish, or whatever item you want to be tempura fried, and then dip them in the batter. Once they are coated, carefully drop them in hot oil to fry.

The best time to prepare tempura batter is while the oil heats up. Although this is optional, we recommend that you dust the shrimp lightly with some corn or potato starch for a crispier result, as it helps the batter stick to the shrimp.

Keeping your batter cold by refrigerating it before you start frying helps too – the batter will be shocked to a crisp when it comes into contact with hot oil, giving you light and ultra-crunchy tempura.

Choice of flour – All-purpose flour is the most basic flour for tempura batter. Some people prefer using low-protein flours, such as cake flour or a mix with corn starch. For convenience, there is also a pre-mix tempura flour available.

The batter consistency should be light and watery when it's ready. This is all you need to make the Tempura batter! Hint: You can adjust the batter thickness after a test fry, by adding a touch more flour (thicker coating) or water (thinner coating), just remember to keep it cold!

You'll also find a round fritter of mixed vegetables and seafood called kaki-age. But what makes tempura different from other fried fare is its distinctive batter. It uses no bread crumbs and less grease than other frying methods. The batter is basically made from beaten egg, flour and cold water.

Heat canola oil in heavy saucepan. Oil should be about 3 inches deep, temperature 375 degrees. Dip fish or shrimp in batter, quickly roll in panko crumbs. Place carefully in hot oil, cook on both sides until golden brown, about 2 minutes per side.

Should tempura have egg? ›

A basic Japanese tempura batter is made of flour, egg, and ice water. While simple, there are some tricks to producing crispy tempura. Ice water, sifted flour, and hot oil are just a few of the key factors that will produce restaurant-style results. Nearly anything you can deep-fry is a candidate for tempura batter.

Once the batter is an even consistency (it should be slightly thick), dip the protein or vegetable in, making sure to evenly coat all sides. Fry in oil at 350-375 degrees using your favorite method. The batter will work for shallow pan-fry or deep fry. For proteins, make sure to cook thoroughly before serving.

What Is Tempura Batter Made Of? This simple batter has just three ingredients: flour, egg, and ice water. Tempura mix is available in some specialty stores, but it's simple enough to use plain 'ol all-purpose flour instead.

Setting the fried tempura on a rack will keep it crisp and it'll keep nicely hot in the oven while you cook the rest of the food. You can also prepare the tempura in advance (or keep leftovers) by letting it cool completely on the rack, then storing it in an airtight container in the fridge.

The cold temperature of the batter is also critical, creating a shock when ingredients immerse in the hot oil that contributes to the creation of hana. Chef Kono adds a couple of ice cubes to the batter make sure it stays cold. Final note about batter: Prepare it just before frying the tempura.

It is impossible to make properly crispy tempura with all-purpose flour. You have to have a very low-protein flour, such as cake flour or pastry flour. You can up the crispness by adding a little bit of additional starch: potato starch cornstarch, fine rice flour (not glutinous rice flour!), whatever you like.

Cold water is critical for a properly light and airy tempura batter. The cold water does two things: First, it slows the development of gluten – which would otherwise cause the batter to be heavier and less crispy when fried.

The batter must also be kept as cold as possible.

The best way to do this is to place the batter bowl into a larger one that contains ice and water. As you're working close to the stove when making tempura, the batter can warm up very quickly and this could result in soggy tempura.